College Football Weekend Watch Party: Stanford-Oregon, Or Fun Vs. Your Dad

Every Friday, we'll tell you which college football game you absolutely need to watch that weekend, even if it's flying under the radar. It might not always be the matchup of the two best teams, but it will definitely be the most entertaining contest. Because fun is what college football is all about, right?

Stanford has gained a reputation as a lovable college football quasi-underdog ever since its renaissance under non-Zodiac Killer Jim Harbaugh. It's not that the Cardinal are actually underdogs—they've turned themselves into a national power, even as Harbaugh and former quarterback Andrew Luck have gone on to bigger and better things.

Besides, no program that can coax a mega-booster into paying for a $70,000 head coach office bathroom should be considered plucky.

Still, Stanford embodies a kind of smart, gritty, old-school, do-it-the-right-way (™) approach that middle-aged men love. For the rest of us, it can be annoying as all hell. Their best player, Christian McCaffrey, literally plays himself up as a white underdog hero.

"I felt like I could play with anybody," he said, "but some people felt differently … The tape doesn't show that white guys can be fast."

That is infuriating. That is the most Stanford thing ever. That is not enjoyable to watch. You know what is enjoyable? Oregon. Flashy, neon, fast-breaking, Phil Knight-funded campus Death Star, but-for-football Oregon.

Yes, Oregon isn't the juggernaut it's been in recent years, but the Ducks have won three games in a row, and quarterback Vernon Adams' return makes them an underrated opponent for the Cardinal.

Adams' philosophy is to have fun. Sometimes it doesn't work, and sometimes it means his team will put up 777 yards of offense, like it did last weekend. Watch this play. Stanford doesn't do this:

These are two completely different teams, and Stanford will be fighting to stay in the College Football Playoff race with a much tougher-than-anticipated opponent.

It's Adams and Oregon vs. that team your dad thinks is great for the game. Root for the front flips into the endzone.

After getting demolished by, yes, Stanford, UCLA was written off by most people nationally. But this is still a good team, and a great test for surprising Washington State. The Cougars have made an impressive run to bowl eligibility after starting the season with a loss to an FCS school. Now, can they beat a quality opponent?

Memphis lost to Navy last week, but that says less about the Tigers being bad than the Midshipmen being the best underdog story in college football. (Your dad should love these guys, not Stanford). Memphis will give undefeated Houston its toughest test of the season, and this game could ultimately end up deciding which AAC team gets a spot in a New Year's Six bowl. Also, expect points. All the points!

This game might not be all that close, and perhaps Miami at UNC is a better choice, but almost everyone in the country has an opinion on Iowa being too high or not high enough in the weekly College Football Playoff rankings. Here's my advice: try actually watching the Hawkeyes this week, so you at least know what you're fighting for or against.

The awesome thing about the Big 12's round-robin format is that it's essentially a playoff before the Playoff. It started last week with Oklahoma State's upset of TCU, and there could very well be another upset this week. Oklahoma has been playing its best football of the season, and Baylor is relying on (very good) backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham. The Bears looked pretty mediocre last week against Kansas State in his first start. (Apologies to my VICE Sports colleague Mike Piellucci). Take the Sooners in this one.

Alabama will come out a little flat on offense, but the Tide's defense will be fine. Alabama will win, 21-13, and we'll all be left wondering why we even played this game in the first place. We know exactly what is going to happen, which is basically how Nick Saban wants it. Trust the process, America.